Category: Environment

Kansas, Missouri groups unite to offer replacements for invasive tree

Callery pear buy-back program planned for Kansas City, Topeka K-State Research and Extension news service MANHATTAN, Kan. – For a brief period, the Callery pear tree puts on a show of deception in urban and rural landscapes. Typically in early April, the tree flaunts a bastion of white flowers that can be quite stunning. But […]

Kansas Forest Service to lead fire mitigation project near Scott City

K-State Research and Extension news service MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas Forest Service officials have announced that an annual project that aids in training new wildland firefighters and helps reduce the risk of wildland fires will be held April 3-7 in Scott City. The Hazard Fuels Mitigation project will take place at the Scott Wildlife Area […]

Some Planning and Development Fees Set to Increase in Riley County

(Riley County, KS – March 20, 2023) Starting this month, some fees associated with environmental health permits, land use permits, and licensing processes will increase to help offset county costs. However, Riley County will continue to cover the bulk of the costs for all Planning & Development and Environmental Health Services. “The applicant will still […]

Southern region land-grant researchers look for solutions to feral hog problem

By Alisa Boswell-Gore STILLWATER, Okla. – Researchers at land-grant institutions in the southern region of the United States are working hard to stop more than $1 billion in economic damages each year. Around 9 million feral hogs have been reported in 35 states. Feral hogs were almost unheard of in Oklahoma 40 years ago but […]

Two Wildfires Threaten Riley County During High Winds

(Riley County, KS – March 16, 2023) Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to two fires during dangerous conditions Wednesday, March 15. The first call was dispatched at 12:18 p.m. for reports of heavy black smoke in the Baldwin Park Rd. area in northern Riley County. Upon arrival, crews found a rekindled brush pile […]

Water Wise: Hays residents meeting challenges of water conservation, quality

City pairs with extension to provide support for region’s waterways By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service HAYS, Kan. – Two water officials in Hays, Kansas say that policies put in place in the 1990s are still paying dividends for a city that is often seen as a model for water-use efficiency. Holly […]

Kansas fire season is here, officials say

K-State meteorologist says weather patterns play a large role in wildfires By Maddy Rohr, K-State Research and Extension news service MANHATTAN, Kan. — The beginning of the year has been quiet for Kansas wildfires after above average moisture in January, but the trend may not continue into peak fire season. In previous years, the incidence […]

Wildflowers bring bursts of color to home landscapes

K-State horticulture expert suggests planting a blend of grasses and wildflowers By Maddy Rohr, K-State Research and Extension news service MANHATTAN, Kan. — Wildflowers offer variety and color to a home landscape. In addition to eye appeal, they can survive in soils containing a wide range of chemistry pH and with varying numbers of sunny […]

K-State scientists publish long-term research about woody vegetation and grassland ecology

MANHATTAN — New research from a team of Kansas State University scientists links increased woody vegetation to declining stream quality in grasslands. “Trajectories and state changes of a grassland stream and riparian zone after a decade of woody vegetation removal” has been published in Ecological Applications, the applied journal of the Ecological Society of America. […]